To the Editor:
On the issue of a mountain bike “skills course” at Lord Hill (Aug. 16 Tribune), County Council candidate Kristin Kelly has fought along with other stakeholder groups to keep Lord Hill a resource for all users including hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. She opposes the proposed mountain bike “skills course,” which would bring an estimated 50,000 to 200,000 mountain bikers to the park per year. This type of skills center would displace a diverse set of present local Snohomish county users (and property tax payers) in favor of out of town tourists, and do extensive environmental damage to the park.
The incumbent, Sam Low, has recently implied support for keeping things the way they are “now,” but has made no commitment to oppose the skills course long term; his statement ,“There is no long range plan for changing the park from the way it is now,” does not express any resistance to the skills course. Kristin Kelly, on the other hand, has fought it since day one of finding out about the Parks Department’s plans.
The parks director has made it crystal clear that it was his objective to turn Lord Hill Park into a tourist draw as a mountain biking destination, and this agenda requires constant resistive vigilance to protect the park from environmental damage, and guarantee continued accessibility for hikers and equestrians. Kristin Kelly will provide that diligence.